LPS JABATAN MATEMATIK

WHOLE NUMBERS PRE NUMBER CONCEPT

1.Attributes
Number can not be understood unless children can recognise when things are the same and when they are different. Difference is the basis of number because number tells how many different things there are. Same is the opposite of different and is essential for understanding difference. Hence, the first step to number is attribute recognition, that is, the ability to recognise likeness and difference (ordering) For example, recognising everything that has the colour red, or can be sat on, or rattles, and so on.

 The second step is matching objects on the basis of attributes. This focuses on the likeness of objects, matching those that are like. Underlying this section is the continuous-discrete dichotomy. Some things are continuous (unbroken), like height. Other things are discrete (in parts), like pencils. To be counted, something must be discrete.

 One of the earliest learnings is detecting when there is a difference when something continuous has a break, becomes discrete (e.g., a door in a wall, a change of colour). The basis of measurement is changing something continuous like mass into something discrete so that number may be applied to it. This is done by using a unit and determining how many of the unit equal the measure.

ACTIVITY

Sorting give a variety of materials for children to sort by their own criteria

Sort them these ways or other attributes

(red/yellow)

How have these been sorted? Pick out the odd ones

Add objects to the sorted groups?

2. Sorting and classifying

From matching, activities move onto sorting and classifying. This means identifying attributes and sorting sets of objects into subsets by these attributes (e.g., sorting by colour, shape, size or number). The idea is that sorting by colour, size or shape will underpin sorting by number, and, therefore, identifying different numbers and giving one number to all collections with that number of objects. The sequence of activities would be starting by sorting on one attribute, going on to sorting by two attributes, and then to three or more. Once again, there is reversing - asking children to sort objects, and asking children to identify the attributes used with objects that have already been sorted.

Pattern
Patterns are rules that repeat. Patterns can be linear, two-dimensional and three dimensional. Finding and following patterns is the basis of mathematics. The idea is that patterns with other attributes (colour, size, shape) will precede and lay foundations for number patterns. Children often confuse patterns with designs that have some form of structure, particularly if that structure is symmetrical. Students often believe that the next item in this pattern, A B B A B B A B B A B, is A because the pattern started with an A.

Comparison and order

The idea here is that comparing objects for attributes such as height and mass leads into comparing numbers in terms of size of number. Comparing is looking at two objects and seeing which has the more of a particular attribute. Ordering is looking at more than two objects and putting them in sequence from the one that has the least of the attribute to that which has the most. Comparing should precede ordering. Ordering should move begin with three objects. For three objects, the first activities should involve comparing two objects and then adding in a third object which is the smallest or the largest.

One to one correspondence

One crucial thing in number is putting number names in 1-1 correspondence with objects - one number name for each object. The idea here is that this can be assisted by putting one set of objects in 1-1 correspondence with another set (e.g., one egg for each eggcup, one knife for each fork, one fish for each fishing line, etc.).